The growing problem of the transmission of infectious disease via contaminated syringes has established a need for a bonified, single-use, disposable syringe which cannot, under any circumstances, be re-used after its initial application.
In an attempt to address this problem, various so-called "single-use" and "disposable" hypodermic syringes are presently being proposed to the medical products industry. However, these syringes cannot truly be categorized as "single-use" as most share common design characteristics that permit re-use if the syringe is not consciously and discriminately disabled immediately after initial use.
Some of the major shortcomings of these type designs include the fact that these type syringes remain functionally operable after the initial solution has been dispensed so that the medical practitioner must make a concious effort to remember to manually disable the syringe before discarding it. It is obvious, due to the hectic pace of the health professional's day, that there will be many occasions when he will not disable or discard the used syringe and inadvertently place it aside, making it available for re-use and possibly contaminating a subsequent patient. Also, once used and discarded, syringes can be recovered from waste receptacles located outside the health facility by individuals intending to modify these syringes for repeated use, as in needle sharing and illicit drug use.
An analysis of the problems and shortcomings inherent in the above mentioned syringes has led to the development of the present invention: a bonified, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringe which is designed to self-disable during its initial and only application. This unique design feature, together with its tamper-proof encasement, automatically renders the aspirating function of the syringe permanently inoperable once the actuating rod is orientated into the solution dispensing mode. These design features completely eliminate the need for the health professional's concern in handling or misplacing, a used, possibly contaminated syringe.
Thus, the present invention can be used to aspirate and dispense a solution only once and any further use is absolutely precluded under any circumstances.
The present invention is a dramatic improvement over the prior art as it guarantees a new, previously unused, antiseptic syringe with a burr-free needle-point for each new, individual patient. The possibility of contamination of this invention by inadvertent repeated use is eliminated as the entire syringe assembly is simply not re-usable nor can it be modified before or after its initial use. The present invention would therefore also help greatly in the flight against Aids by eliminating the dangerous practice of needle sharing among illicit drug users.
Those in the medical and health professions familiar with the present state of the art would find it cost effective and prophylactically expedient to have and use an antiseptically assured, self disabling, non-reusable, disposable hypodermic syringe.